Ophthalmic mounting and method of making the same



Feb. 28, 1933. J.,A. SWEENEY 1,899,736

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed March 9, 1929 Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES JAMES AUGUSTUS SWEENEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND ornmmvnc MOUNTING AND METHOI) or MAKING ruin SAME Application filed March 9, 1929,-Seria1 The present invention relates to ophthalmic mountings and to methods of 'making the same. I I a As ophthalmic mountings are conspicuously Worn upon the face, they should be beautiful, else many persons will not wear themat all. Metal mountings produce more or less of an ugly effect as they tend to give the countenance a pallid appearance. Some persons have, therefore, turned, for many years, to tortoise shell, celluloid and. other compositions. But as metal mountings have many advantages not possessed by such substitutes, attempts have been made, at various times, to cause the metal mountings to return to favor. Thus, optical manufacturers have, of recent years, tried to please the eye by building metal mountings in fantastic shapes; but such shapes can not be more than a passing fancy.

Among the objects of thepresent invention are to provide a new and improved ophthalmic mounting of pleasing appearance, anda novel method of manufacturing the same. Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The nature and the objects of the invention will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig.- 1 is an elevation illustrating a step in themanufacture of an ophthalmic-mounting lens rim; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the same, taken upon the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a similarsection taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illustrates a further step inthe manufacture; and Figs. v5 and 6 are, respectively, a front and a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the ophthalmic mounting of the present invention.

The improved ophthalmicmounting illustrated comprises two lens-holding rims 2 connected by a bridge 4 and having temples 6 and nose guards 8. To beautify the mounting, the rims 2 are provided withperipheral stripes 10; the bridge 4 with a longitudinal stripe 12; and the forward portions of the temples 6, near where they are pivotedto; the rims 2, with longitudinal stripes 14. These stripes 10, 12 and 14, as Willhereinafter appear,,are.preferably constituted of. enamel.

the lenses. be of a character to resist the chemical -at- 85 I To. 345,862. l 'tenewed July 18 1932.- Enamehas is Well known, presents a hard surface that is easily liableto crack. This 18 particularly to beguarded against in con-- nectlon with ophthalmic mountings, as they require bending adjustments to fit the patient 1 originally and after they get out of shape,

and they are, furthermore, flexed back and takenoif, the face. Thus, the bridge 4 must {be bent in and out toadjust for pupillary dis- $5. .tance, and the rims 2 must be opened and closedto insert and remove lenses, and must be bent to fit differentsizes andshapes of lenses. The grasping by the hands of the rear curved portions of the temples, that are .55

adapted to holdthemounting on the wearers face, cause repeated bendings and fiexings in j the forward partsof the temples and also in the;bridge 4 and the rims 2. Such adjustment and flexing of the ophthalmic mounting T necessarily introduces stresses and strains in the enamel. Not only that, but because of brightening upthe metal of the mounting (to' remove finger marksof shop workmemand Opticians, and other foreign dust substances), but even more often as preparatory to. Wiping The enamel must, of course,

tacks of such cleansing liquids' Ordinary enamels, finally, require long baking. processes to causethem to harden and adhere, and such baking processes are out of the question for the manufacture of ophthalmic mount ,ings. It will readilybe appreciated,- there- @the enamel isfirst-provided with a shallow, enamel-holding channel or groove 1 6 pref- .erablyrectangular-shaped in cross section, as

illustrated. The. channel or groove lfi may" rim to become baked before it is turned upforward portions of the temples 6, or the temples 6 may be formed-by means'of dies. The bottom of the channel or groove is provided with small enamel holding projections, shown at 24. The projections 24: may be of any suitable shape, but practice has demonstrated that best results are obtained when 'these projections produce a kind of matted :If the enamel is constituted of the proper insurface over the bottom of the channel or groove. The matted construction may, of course, result from suitably shaping the rolls or dies, as shown at 26, so that the projections Qtmay be'formed simultaneously with the formation of the enamel-receiving channel or groove. In this manner, the channel or groovewill be enabled to hold a correspondingly shaped layer of enamel securely between its walls 28 and-30 interlocked with the projections 24.

The next step is to. cleanse-the mounting thoroughly, as by dipping it in a solution of carbon tetrachloride, to remove .the grease from the mounting, after the mounting is polished, as on a polishing wheel, with rouge. A thin layer or coating of enamel is then applied. This may be done by progressively moving a brush, ruling pen, draw pen, or any other suitable instrument 32, as illustrated in Fig. 4, continuously over successive portions of the channel or groove, until a continuous layer of the enamel has been applied to the whole len 'th of the 'roove. I The enamel is then allowed to dry or hardenin its groove.

gredients, and in'suitable proportions, the enamel'will dry quickly without any baking whatever, will flex readilywithout cracking,

and will resist the chemical attacks of all ordinary cleansing washes. Indeed, if .the enamel is of the right consistency, it will be found to dry sufiiciently well to adhere to the matted surface 24ialmost as soon as it is applied, and before the mounting has left the operators hands. This is particularly valuable for use with ophthalmic mountings, as it permits applying the enamel to the bridge '4 and to the periphery of the whole lens-hold- '3 'ing rim 2 in practically a single operation,

and without waiting for the one halfof the side down to enable application of the enamel to the other half of therim,-without danger of the enamel flowing out of its groove dur dries; on a smooth, glassy surface, the enamel would have a tendency to flow downward before it could have a chance to dry. A single layer or coating of the enamel, if of the right consistency, is all that needs to be applied, though several layers could, of course, be used, if desired, eachlayer being allowed to dry before the next layer is applied. This, however, would involve an unnecessary waste of time. 7 i v V The following ingredients will produce a soft, bendable, non-cracking, quick-drying enamel that satisfies all the above requirements: v v

Substantially equal proportions of wood charcoal and gum resin are ground and minedtogether, and linseed oil and turpentine are added. "When the enamel is ready to use, 20% ether is added to 80% of the composition. The liquid should be of consisofthe before-mentioned instruments 32. ,The charcoal and gum, resin mayeach form 30% of the resulting enamel, and the linseed oil and turpentine each 10%.

The overflow enamel may be. removed by wiping with a piece of chamois immersed in butyric ether. The enamel is then allowed to harden, by permitting the ether solvent to evaporate. The final step is to burnish oi? the excess enamel, after which the enamelis glossed upon a'polishing wheel, as with black rouge, and washed. The glossing operation may safely be performed within half an hour of the application of the enamel.

As before stated, there is no heating or baking and no tying up of production for days at a time'on account thereof. Indeed, an enamel that would require baking'would probably be brittle, and so unusable upon bendable. ophthalmic mountings.

Thev resulting product will. stand up against all-ordinary wear, without the enamel disappearing in use, and irrespectiveof bending and flexing.

The enamelfimay be black-'or'colored or transparent. Thus, it may be of the same color as the color of the metalv frame, and transparent, in which event the bottom of the enamel-receiving channel or groove may be engraved orotherwise ornamented to present a pleasing appearance through the enamel.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall I within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ophthalmic mounting comprising a bendable member having a groove rectangu- 'lar in cross section, and a correspondingly shaped bendable layer of enamel in the groove, the enamel bein'gconstitutedof charcoal'and gum resin; 1 p p e l 2. A spectacle temple having aforward portion at whichit is adapted to be'hinged to a spectacle frame and a rear curved portion adapted to engage the Wearers body to hold the spectacles'in place, the forward portion of the temple being bendable and being eXteriorly provided With a longitudinally disposed groove, and a correspondingly bendable layer of enamel longitudinally disposed in the groove.

3. A method of making an ophthalmic mounting that comprises providing an ophthalmio-mounting member with a groove,

progressively applying an enamel of charcoal and gum resin continuously to successive portions of the groove until a continuone layer of the enamel has been applied to the groove, and permitting the layer of the enamel to harden in the groove.-

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JAMES A. SWEENEY.- 

